The Woodland Trust has found a way to recycle the hundreds of thousands of tree tubes it uses each year.
Over the past ten years, the Trust has planted over 4.5 million new trees in the UK using polypropylene tubes to protect the saplings from the weather, voles, deer and rabbits. Previously the tubes were burnt or sent to landfill once the young tree reached around ten years old.
Based in Lancashire and Merseyside, Northern Polypropylene Recycling has been working with the Trust to investigate the possibility of recycling the tubes. Around 6,000 tubes were collected from Guild Wood in East Yorkshire and were successfully washed and chipped into a material suitable for recycling.
The Woodland Trust now plans to recycle all its tree tubes and is currently investigating the difficulties in recycling tubes of mixed ages and polymers.
WRAP takes over Recycled Products Guide
WRAP – the Waste and Resources Action Programme – has taken over the management of the Recycled Products Guide from not-for-profit awareness organisation Waste Watch.
The guide was created in 1995 to help people making buying decisions to procure goods made from recycled materials. An online version was launched in 2001.
WRAP sees the guide as important as part of its work to expand recycled product markets and develop green procurement in the UK.
Alison Keyes, head of information at WRAP, said: “WRAP has negotiated the transfer of the Recycled Products Guide online from Waste Watch and will now build on the existing guide and expand the product coverage. This resource will be used both to underpin procurement in all material areas and as an authoritative tool in its own right.”
Environment Agency issues new guidance for recycling industry
The Environment Agency has issued new guidance for businesses, local authorities and community groups involved in the recycling industry.
Produced in association with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Northern Ireland's Environment and Heritage Service, the guidance at www.netreg.gov.uk helps organisations comply with environmental protection legislation.
The NetRegs website includes guidance on which organisations must register under the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) regulations as well as links to further information.
Tim Fanshawe, NetRegs programme coordinator, said: “With challenging European targets to significantly reduce landfill of household and industrial waste and a range of initiatives in place to grow recycling in the UK, it is crucial that new entrants to the sector fully understand the environmental regulations that effect them.”
Swansea to halt trade waste at CA sites
Swansea council is to introduce height restrictions at its civic amenity sites in an attempt to stop businesses dumping their waste illegally.
The household waste CA sites in the city are operated by Swansea Waste Disposal Company which does not hold the necessary permits to take commercial waste on the sites.
Councillor David Jones, cabinet member for the environment, said: “Not only is the deposit of commercial waste against the operational licence for our civic amenity sites, but unscrupulous businesses are at present using the sites are costing the council thousands of pounds each month. That money not only defrauds the public but also stops the council providing more recycling facilities or better waste management services.”
Barriers will a clearance of 2 metres will now be installed on February 1 2004 to prevent all large vans and tall vehicles entering the sites.
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